Volunteer of the Year Award Ceremony gathers young volunteers across Georgia to summarize their efforts to support vulnerable communities

Tbilisi, Georgia, 5 December, 2022 — In response to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of youth volunteers from 63 municipalities of Georgia participated in projects supported by UNICEF and the local NGO Helping Hand.

On the International Day of Volunteering, a special jury selected and awarded the Volunteers of the Year. The event was attended by volunteers and local self-government representatives from 63 municipalities, as well as representatives of partner organizations and schools. The winners of the competition were selected from across Georgia in two age categories - teenagers (13-18) and young people (19-29) in different thematic nominations.

"Increased youth participation and their involvement in community life is essential for their development, as well as for the society as a whole," said Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia. "Amid a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, the priorities and needs of adolescents and young people must be considered. They must be well informed and have sufficient resources and education.”

The volunteers were selected from the youth volunteering platform https://youthvolunteering.ge, created by Helping Hand with the support of UNICEF, uniting more than 3000 young volunteers. Throughout the year, young people submitted the specific stories of their volunteer work through the platform.

The purpose of the award is to support and encourage youth volunteerism, as well as to show appreciation to volunteers who selflessly help vulnerable groups and people with various needs across the country.

At the closing event, the results of the "Volunteer Water Advocates" project were summarized. Young people shared their experiences and impressions with each other, guests from local municipalities, and representatives from UNICEF. In total, up to 500 projects were implemented by young people, reaching more than 40,000 people across Georgia.

International Volunteer Day 2022 celebrates the theme of solidarity through volunteering. The campaign highlights the power of our collective humanity to drive positive change through volunteerism. Volunteers, drawn together by solidarity, develop solutions to urgent development challenges and for the common good.